Sorting, backing up and importing photos

[mikelinz]

Importing photos taken on different days from one card - photos previously copied to one folder on harddrive. I want to move these to a new master folder sorted by date as well as create a backup with identical folder structure on an external hard drive. I have successfully moved and imported the photos but am having a couple of issues which I hope someone has a work around for me.

File-import photos from disk
Import all photos in selected folder
Organise by date 2''8/2''8-12-'4 key word (place or person etc)

Backup to selected (external harddrive)

File naming = Date (YYYYMMDD) - Custom text (person or location etc) - Filename

Issue 1
Lightroom has correctly sorted the photos into the two shoot dates - when I change the custom name on one date it changes it on the other. Obviously the two shoot dates would have different custom texts.
At the moment I am selecting only 1 date applying custom text and importing it then repeating the process one date at a time which is slowing me down (have 5'''+ unsorted photos to import)

Issue 2
The backup directory saves all the imported photos in a single folder based on the date imported. "Imported on Wednesday, December 1', 2''8" How do I specify that lightroom saves this backup using the same folder structure as the master. or can I synchronize my master and backup folders a different way.

I sincerely hope this makes some sense to someone.

rgds mike

 

[Brad Snyder]

Mike, Welcome to the Forums.

Issue 1
Lightroom has correctly sorted the photos into the two shoot dates - when I change the custom name on one date it changes it on the other. Obviously the two shoot dates would have different custom texts.
At the moment I am selecting only 1 date applying custom text and importing it then repeating the process one date at a time which is slowing me down (have 5'''+ unsorted photos to import)

Nope, that's the way it works at import time. I'm not sure I understand how you would have it work differently.

If all the images on a given date have a single given custom text to be applied, I guess you could just first import everything renamed by date, and then work thru each date renaming with the custom token, but then your'e still back to renaming date by date.

Issue 2

The backup directory saves all the imported photos in a single folder based on the date imported. "Imported on Wednesday, December 1', 2''8" How do I specify that lightroom saves this backup using the same folder structure as the master. or can I synchronize my master and backup folders a different way.

Again, that's how it works. (It's been noticed by other folks as well, that that is less than helpful.) If you want the backups to replicate the post-import folder structure, you're going to have to make arrangements to sync it yourself with external clone/sync/backup software.

[COLOR=#''''ff]Personally, I do kind of a hybrid. I let the import backup run to the default dated structure. I then burn that to optical. I have clone software running that backs up the working image directories in my preferred structure. When I'm satisfied that the three copies (working, structured back-up, optical copy of import backup) are valid, I delete the import backups. Then I backup the backup drive, to an additional drive.[/COLOR]

I sincerely hope this makes some sense to someone.

[COLOR=#''''ff]Mostly, I'm still confused as to how Lr is supposed to know what custom text it's supposed to apply by date?[/COLOR]

rgds mike

If you've read much of the forum, you'll know we love dialogues (mutlilogues?), feel free to keep asking ......

 

[mikelinz]

If you want the backups to replicate the post-import folder structure, you're going to have to make arrangements to sync it yourself with external clone/sync/backup software.

Ok I have software that can sync so will use that deleting the imported on files once done (looks like yet another ext HD to manage that one tho


[COLOR=#''''ff]Mostly, I'm still confused as to how Lr is supposed to know what custom text it's supposed to apply by date?

[/COLOR]Thanks Brad, in the import dialogue it gives you the option of adding custom text if you use a custom setting in the file naming - Template section. I am probably not clear above. I am talking about the renaming the individual files within each folder not the folders themselves. I can add a different custom description to each dated folder names by double clicking on then and then adding text after the date. This is kinda what i want to do with each file within a folder at the time of import.

eg I am importing and moving photos to folders
C:/photo master database/2''8/2''8-12-2' Mountian
C:/photo master database/2''8/2''8-12-22 Sarah

So I want to rename the individual files as
2''8122'_mountain_''1, '2etc
2''81222_sarah_''1,''2 etc

LR will let me add sarah or mountain to the file name, but does so to all the files of both dates. I can't understand why LR has such restrictive options in its file naming dialogue.

I suspect this is just one of those have to put up with things but i have managed a workaround of sorts.

thanks for the help mike